Cold Blood
by Mr. Crimson
Summary: Final chapter...and as cheesy as it may sound, thanks for your support, everyone. I just hope I'm not reamed for the ending in any way...
1. Default Chapter

Author: Mr. Crimson  
Title:   
Genre: Action/Suspense  
Rating: PG-13  
Note: Of all the villains they've brought back in some way or another, one has been done in a way, but now it'll be pretty blatant. At least I'll try to make it that way.   
Disclaimer: Anything linked to Batman in any way is NOT my own. DC owns Batman Beyond, all related characters and the like.   
  
  
"FREEZE!"  
  
Gunfire roared through the air between two GCP Officers, and a simple, dirt-riddled thief that had just robbed a liquor store of three hundred creds. The chase increased in jeopardy for all parties, as the thief took the pursuit into the busy intersection of Rancocas and Saint, without care for his own life, that of the drivers, and obviously even less for the cops. The two officers moved their way through the cars that had crashed due to the perp's recklessness, just as they quickly had to dodge more bullets fired by the criminal.   
  
Everyone did their best to take cover as the gunshots were even heard from a distance, yet for one area that was under construction after an explosion last week, it was getting closer. The thief ran into the area and stopped in his tracks to look at the chance he had to permanently rid himself of the cops. The closest machine would grant him access to a large laser meant for cutting concrete, never humans. To the malignant man, at this point, there was no difference.   
  
As he quickly tried to learn how to operate it, the two officers came around the corner and saw him in the construction unit. The use of deadly force was already called for, but before they fired, the dingy culprit hurriedly pushed a few buttons, as it activated the laser straight at them. The two dodged it just in time, only to learn that it continued fire its high degree laser in its uncontrolled state.   
  
The dreg ran out the machine, but was almost tackled by one of the workers who tried to play hero, only to be shot in the leg before the felon jumped into a manhole, and covered it to slow them down, in case they saw him go under. Ignoring the climb down the ladder, he ran down the dank corridor of the sewer for a new escape route, trying to fight the nearly knee-deep water pushing against his legs, before he realized the money he had so "swiftly" stolen was now gone from his gripe. He blared out curses while throwing a fit, kicking the water, when his foot suddenly pushed against a hard object that soon floated between his legs.   
  
Underneath the water, the felon could hear a bellowing growl forced out the liquid that was as foul as his appearance. His senses grew, and tension enveloped his entire body. His grip on the gun wrapped tighter, as his eyes widened and rapidly gazed all around him, faintly ignoring his rapid heart rate and sputtered breathing. The tighter his grip became, the more his hands began to tremble, and chin shaking as if his body were cold from the temperature, but it was fear instead. The dreg couldn't even see, with the only light coming from both the dim ones embedded in the ceiling, but distant manholes that he was eager to use.   
  
His senses were still up, just as swift splash shot from behind him, making the criminal turn at the sound with his gun, and firing six rounds into the darkness before quitting the ordnance. As he continued to hold the gun outward in his trembling state, he soon saw what was behind the splashes in silhouettes, until they held out their guns as well as flashlights. "This is your last warning," yelled one of the offices over the sounds of the GCPD vehicle sirens, "put down your weapon and surrender, now!"   
  
As their flashlights focused all around the thief, the officers noticed that the light went so far from behind him at some points. As parts of the light broke into the background, the rest showed a pale, unshapely wall that inexplicably appeared from behind the felon, who now had his hands up and gun to the side of the tunnel. Hearing and feeling the deep breathing from behind him, he then mumbled something while frigid, sagitate blades slowly pierced his skin, just above his stomach. It felt like it was preformed by a human hand, but no human has ever been known to have a hand that felt as big as half their body. The very words he mumbled were then screamed, just as the officers' flashlights saw the dreg bleeding. "RUUUUN!"   
  
The lights gave the cops a good vision of the criminal's mouth pouring blood all over himself, before the body dropped in the water, as the wall revealed itself to be anything but. It slowly walked towards them, as they fired direct hits that didn't even phase the monstrosity. With all but their guns with them, the only other option was to run topside. They ran towards the ladder, but one fell from a force that tugged at his foot underwater. "Go on, save yourself," he yelled, as the other hesitantly climbed the ladder while hearing a deep slash into flesh, mixed with his partner's gurgling under water. Or was it his blood?   
  
Other officers awaited the other two and their catch of the day, oblivious to the events below, until the escaping officer was half way out the manhole, before he felt something pierce his back in five places. His widened eyes and paling expression horrified the other officers. His body was swiftly dragged back into the sewer, as the officers either remained in fear, or came towards the hole, in hopes that both members of their force were okay. Hell, they even hoped the criminal was fine just to bring him in with their fellow men. Little did they know, that they would never see either of them again. IF they were all killed.   



	2. Into the mouth...

  
As the light of the city receded into the darkness that same day, long time friends were in each other's arms, resting after another wonderful day at high school, as well as their long-awaited private make out sessions. Contrary to popular views amongst their peers, the two haven't made the "big jump" yet, and don't plan to until they're both 100% ready. Time would tell if they were, but their minds were more focused on less trivial matters.   
"Seven Million Dollar Hero."  
"No way, the final Devastator movie."  
"Max, that was pretty...well, I dunno..."  
"Look, just because you cried at the end doesn't mean you have to knock the movie."  
"I thought you weren't gonna' bring that up again."  
"I though you knew me better, McGuiness."  
"Yeah, I know, but I have one that beats them all."  
"Oh really? What?"   
"Terry and Max's Make-Out Adventure."  
"Mmm, my favorite. I hope there's many sequels."  
The two kissed each other deeply, ending their light-hearted argument over the best classic action movies. It was moments like these that they knew couldn't be shared with anyone but each other, and had promised time and again that it would be kept that way, considering his nightly escapades of saving the city, if not the world. Once they regretfully pulled away from each others' lips, Max sighed as she lied on Terry's chest, rubbing it softly and feeling what muscles he's built over the time he's been the media-dubbed Cyber Crusader.   
Closing her eyes, she turned her hear to Terry and asked, "So is it gonna' be another night with Mister Wayne?" Terry groaned loudly, "Oh man, you had to say the 'W' word, didn't you?" "Well it's not like you weren't expecting it either," Max replied, "but you know I love you too much to be mad about it. The more you do it, the better off our future together will be. Too bad Dana couldn't deal with that." "I can't complain, considering what happened," he reminisced. "It's okay, Ter," she comforted, "not everyone can do what you do, and even those that do have those moments. More importantly, you can't be everywhere at once. Just as long as once you're out that suit, you're with me." "Promise," Terry swore, before they kissed a bit more before he pulled out and finished, "for the fifth time this month, I promise." They shared a brief laugh before kissing one more time, when a series of beeps came from his dresser drawer. Max reached over to get the phone before Terry could, as his hands rested on her waist and didn't want their moment to end.   
"Wrong number," she answered. "Max? Where's Terry," asked the familiar voice of seniority. "He's in the little bat's room, can you call back in five," she lied, just so they can have one more moment together. It was a few seconds after he heard a slight noise on their end to reply ill-amused, "Give him the phone." As she lied on Terry surprise, Max looked at him with concerned eyes. "He's good," she said. "Tell about it," he agreed, just as he sat up to regrettably take the call. "What's up?" "It's more of the case of what's down," Bruce replied, "I'll tell you more once you're here. It's the only way." "Got it." Once Terry hung up, he kissed Max before putting his forehead on hers, sighing before he spoke.   
"Looks like another night in the fire for me," he started, "but are you sure this doesn't put a strain on our relationship?" "Do Jokers smell," Max asked. They laughed lightly, before starting to kiss deeply and lovingly as always, but as they began to lie back on the bed, Terry's cell rang once more. They shared an audible groan, as Terry picked up this time. "Yeah." He answered. "Come now." Wayne hung up, just as Terry did the same while looking at Max, repeating her previous words. "Yeah, he's good."   
  
It took a little longer than usual, but Terry walked into the Bat Cave, where Bruce was in his usual spot, resting in the chair and possibly analyzing something linked to tonight's escapade. As his eyes started to adjust to the darkness of the second home, Terry called to Bruce to notify his arrival. "So what's up," he said, before he got a good look at the sickening image on the screen.   
It was a man's arm floating in the sewer water, freshly torn from the body that it came from that was attached on the ceiling, with bent poles in his remaining appendages to assure his failed descent. The face was distorted with signs of inhuman pressure to twist its skin in the spiral formations the pictures revealed. Blood ran from his opened eyes, but at this point it was already dried to his face, and whatever came from his mouth was also dried on his chin, running into his thin beard and moustache. He appeared to be a civilian by his clothing marks, but at the same time he may have been a homeless individual. It made no difference to Bruce and Terry, as they knew that life was life, and whatever lied beneath the pavement saw life in a different perspective.   
"This was the only real picture of a victim taken with a camera pod, after numerous photographers rejected taking any shots first hand," Bruce explained. "Can you blame them," Terry asked. Bruce continued, "This was the first of a few occurrences just yesterday before and during your engagement with Mad Stand, and just this evening, two officers and a convict they chased down into the area were reported missing in that same area of your fight. A strong search party is being planned for others that have disappeared underground, but I hope and pray that they know what they're dealing with."   
"Do you?"  
"Not until you find it."   
"Then what? Expect it to comply with his arresting development," Terry wondered.  
"No," Bruce answered, "just investigate and be careful. Bring it in if you can."  
"You know me," Terry assured, as he went to put on the Bat suit. He then stopped and looked back towards Bruce. "By the way," he began, "how'd you know I was there with Max?" "Let's just say I've taken care of my ears very well over my lifetime," Wayne answered with a smirk. "Cheater," he said, knowing that the computer had a play in it somehow as well. He shook it off before he placed the suit on, and readied himself to enter the watery grave of what he hoped to be no more than the man in the picture, but with the way he felt, Terry knew he'd be proven wrong. Dead wrong.   



	3. Encounter

"How is it down there, so far," Bruce asked through the communications link inside Terry's suit, moments after he had entered the sewage system. He replied, "Aside from no signs of body parts, it really, really reeks." "Just as I remember it," Bruce replied. "Oh yeah," Batman cringed while speaking, "did you have to arc your feet every time you didn't wanna' step in something you didn't want to ID?" "It comes with the territory," he answered in his own way of saying 'yes', "now stay focused. The last thing we want is for it to jump out at you." "Yeah, whatever it is," Batman agreed.   
As Batman looked around, he saw nothing but the usual details that defined a sewer's environment. The steel walls looked almost beaten in at most points, with markings that looked as if done by sagitate claw (and maybe even teeth) marks. Rats scurried along pipes ranging in various sizes, from the size of their field counterparts, to others that proved truth to the myths of their rather large and implausible girths. As for the sickening water, it was now to half-calf length from where he walked, but in the distance he could hear the echoing of the water that poured into distant areas. Just as he turned around, Batman reported to Bruce, "Still nothing, I'm gonna' double back just in case I missed some areas."   
  
"Maybe you should look harder."  
Batman only heard the words as he thoroughly searched the area, but didn't focus on what said them.   
"What do you think I'm doing?"  
Bruce replied in confusion, "Who are you talking to?"  
"Didn't you just say---ARRRGH!"  
  
Bruce could only hear the unpleasant sound of circuitry being slashed apart through the comm. link, as he gripped the armrests on his chair, screaming Terry's name for confirmation of his status. Back in the sewer, Batman sluggishly pushed himself off the ground, feeling how deep the cut was on his back, which was enough to feel the cold air with his bare skin. As exposed circuits sparked and raged, he heard a bellowed breathing noise from behind him. Without second thought, he unsheathed a standard Batarang and threw it at the target behind him, whom caught it with the simplest hand gesture. Once it crushed the weapon, the pieces were forcefully thrown to its side, some of the fragments stuck to the wall.  
  
"So you're the Batman," it spoke in a scratchy Russian accent, as Terry now recognized the voice, "I pray that you taste better than my last pursuer." Batman stood in a fighting stance as best as he could, as he fought the pain, and he saw the creature dash through the water at him. Batman jumped kicked at him, connecting with the creature's face twice, but it proved useless, as the creature grabbed his leg and swung him to the ground. The sewer fluids partially entered Batman's mouth, but as he spat out the wretched taste, the monster kicked him in the stomach hard enough to send him far away and up to the ceiling.   
Once Batman fell to the ground, he looked at the approaching creature, as it looked back with a taunting smile and large hands tensing for a kill. The monster then saw its dark hunter reach into what had to be its infamous utility belt, but knew that whatever he was going to throw, it would be beyond futile. Batman kept holding the object in his hand, until he formed its blue Batarang shape. He jumped out the water just as it quickly pulsed its electric currency into the water, immediately shocking the grey giant. It roared in pain, closing its eyes and clenching to the now ripped walls until he soon took control of the discomfort, noticing that his next meal was now gone. Out of anger, he smashed the wall to his right, as he looked down the darkened hell that was his hunting ground and growled, "First time for everything, Mansur." He turned around and walked back to his abode, where other potential "snacks" awaited his fatal taste test.   
  
  



	4. Prisoners

By the time Terry made it back to the cave, blood was over his suit and his seat in the Batmobile, and could only describe the pain by literally crawling out the vehicle moments after its entrance. Bruce remained unsettled as he took Terry to the operating table, and took part of his suit off to attend to his wounds. Terry lied unconscious, wondering if he was either home from the dark comfort, the cave for the sounds of an epoch of bats, or even Hell for the pain he felt all over his body. Once Terry woke up, his face was repeatedly being wetted by what turned out to be Ace, Bruce's pet dog. As his vision regained its normality, Terry halted Ace's clear affection and saw Bruce at the chair of the cave's computer. Of all the time he's been with him, Terry could tell that Wayne was glad that he got home safely, but would only show his feelings for a brief moment, before getting to the matter at hand. He hadn't taken two steps before Bruce uttered something.   
"How are you?"   
"I'm alive," answered Terry, "I can tell because of the pain."   
"I lost communication with you after your first fall, and hoped that on your return you'd remember what you saw."   
"Glad that I didn't disappoint you," Terry asked. Bruce didn't reply immediately. Terry got the idea quick enough to respond, "He was hunched over, loaded with muscles. Grey, scaly skin, a big tail, and teeth the size of Ace's head." Ace whimpered and put his head down from his upright position, as Terry continued. "I've been about the block with creatures, mutants, and you name it, but this thing...it was different from them somehow." "Apparently, it can talk. What else did he say to you, if anything?" "He knew who I was, the Batman part, I mean, but I wasn't the first to go after him." "Why is that," asked Bruce. "He told me that he hoped that I tasted better than his last pursuers, "Terry replied as he held the shivers behind the remark.   
  
"Take a look at these," Bruce ordered. Terry looked towards the screen, and in moments saw news feeds and clippings collected from the past three months from other states, with horrific pictures that thankfully weren't a part of the release of the reports. Each one, be it from a legit publishing or tabloid, were the same, showing the bodies being found mangled, mauled, or even eaten in large bites. The victims varied from animals, citizens, to even local authorities. Survivors, as rare as they seemed from the reports, described the same features that Terry reported to Bruce, but one was more descriptive, saying that the "Subterranean Slayer" (as reporters have begun to call it) resembled a crocodile with a human structure.   
"Crocodile with a human figure," Terry repeated, "If that doesn't sum it up, nothing will." Terry turned around, ready to get a spare suit from the locker as he yelled, "So what are we waiting for? Let's get this guy with some heavy ordinance or something and move back to the dregs." "You want him that bad, then," Bruce asked as he walked towards him and poked him in the back where his wound was bandaged. After a yelp in pain, Terry remarked, "Okay, tomorrow...but I'm coming early." "Good," Bruce said as he saw him ready to leave, "and if you can, try to keep your souvenir out of Max's knowledge." "Max will be fine about it," Terry struggled to say from the pain just before leaving, "she knows that if I come home hurt, it was for a great cause, not because I'm stupid."   
~~   
"Are you stupid? You could've been killed!" "You never said that before," cried Terry to Max, as they started their argument in his room. "I know I haven't, it's just that this time...I..." "Max, I know this isn't gonna' help much, but before you even knew my name, I dealt with things worse than this guy." "You're right, it doesn't help," she agreed with an attitude, "but the fact that you're going back down there proves 'military' and 'backup' should be in the next sentence."   
" 'Military' and 'backup' are the last things I need to get one simple homicidal maniac," Terry justified, "you fight one, you've almost fought them all."   
"Which proves that you weren't even ready for 'Sewer Thing', seeing that you just said you've 'almost fought them all.' "   
"Max, we shouldn't even be having this kind of conversation," Terry began, "you know what I get into every night, no matter what. It's not like I'm aiming to worry you to death or anything."   
"I know...but the last thing I need is to be worried about /your/ death," Max uttered.   
"Funny. Dana said the same thing."   
Silence violently entered the room, which left both in empty thought, as Max was heard ready to cry, "Do not tell me that you miss her." "No, hell no!" He turned to Max, only seeing her back. "And don't tell me you don't believe me." Terry then walked over and caressed her face, as Max stood still and let her back continue to face him. His touch, though comforting, felt activated out of desperation, because he knew what could set her off in the most comfortable ways. "I do..." "You do what," teased Terry. "I do believe you, Ter," she said, finally turning to lock eyes with him. As her hand rested on his chest, she pushed against him gently and finished, "I just wish I knew how to deal when something like this happens to you." "I've already promised you five times this month, honey. Wanna' go for six?" The two laughed while holding each other, as Max replied, "Wouldn't hurt, but you know what'll happen after it."   
"At least you know that your man's getting hurt doing something the entire student body can only dream of." "Unlimited resources, cool weapons, and a hot girl on the side," Max guessed with a sexy tone. "Okay...that too." They lightly laughed and kissed each other, before Max whispered, "Now if you're up to it, take me on, you...."   
  
"...MONSTER!" The insulting scream of one of few captives echoed within their tight, watery, subterranean cell that was anything but pleasant, save the small light from above, where the monster descends from, pipe-by-pipe. The noxious fumes of carcasses and feces attack their sense with every moment they took breaths, making them cry rivers and vomit streams. But if they weren't reacting from the smells, the it was the vomiting from the occasional feast he'd have on one of his hostages in front of the others, and the tears from the fact that any one of them would be next. Sometimes, it'd be days before it would feast again, but there were the more occasional instances where it's happen every few minutes, even if a person hadn't been there for more than a day's time. Few, however, have been in there much longer. One of them was a man named Jesse Tanner, who had logged himself in for at least two weeks now. Why he hadn't been killed yet not only scared him, but drove him mad, causing Jesse to taunt the monster as vociferously as possible, until his cruel fate had come.   
"Jesse," uttered Connor, a young female who had been in there for almost as long as Jesse, but hadn't gone insane as of yet, "you're only makin' it worse fo' yourself, you know that?" "SHUT UP," he yelled, "you haven't even been here as long, so I shouldn't even hear anything from you OR anyone but that scaled, son-of-a-fuck of a murder up there! YOU HEAR ME?" "The reason why I said you're makin' it hard for yourself is he's gettin' a hard-on from your beggin' and pleadin' for your pain an' his pleasure," she continued, "and if you don't stop, I'll kill you for 'em." The others remained silent, a few still crying and praying for an end to this monstrosity's life, considering that these were once people that never wished death to no one. Before any more words were exchanged, they heard the frightening sound that was unlike any within the prison, the one sound that put the fear of God into all inside.   
The squeaking sound of an opening gate belonged to the creature's entrance, as he walked in hunched over and with a smirk of baseness. As he looked around the room, he counted five people; two on the ground cringing at his sight, Jesse and Connor standing, considering their weakness, and the last holding a broken pipe in self-defense. The creature tilted its head with a look of curiosity, and smiled viciously and asked, "Are you that oblivious?"   
It rushed towards the defending young man as it broke through the water before it reached the boy and slapped the pipe away, before taking a deep, sickening bite into his neck, with more slurps and gulps to follow. Once it was done feasting on the man, it quickly turned towards the others, who clenched their eyes closed, for hearing another die amongst them was more than enough. The creature licked its mouth off, savoring the blood that melded with its saliva, as he spoke once more, "You...humans...the taste is like, what do you call it? An aphrodisiac?" He looked towards Connor, who despite her squalid appearance, she still possessed a stunning figure that he had kept her alive for. "One way or another, my pet," it growled to her dead in her face, "I will love to eat you in and out." It caressed her cheek with one claw, forcing Connor to move her face away, still smelling the fresh blood in his mouth and hands. The monster walked back out, closing and locking the gate from behind it, and left Connor in more of a disturbed state than this cruel world itself.


	5. the replacement

"It's only a matter of time now," uttered Connor, after finally shaking away the fear and disgust she got from the monster's actions just moments ago. "It's only a matter of time before another comes for replacement." "He keeps forgetting," Jesse growled, "he keeps forgetting to kill me. I might as well be dead, I mean, how long has it been since I've eaten?" "You mean something not a remnant of his morbid meals," she wondered. "Like you didn't want to? It's the only thing he's suggested for us to live on, and if I'm here to be killed by him, I wanna' make sure he didn't waste his time pickin' me from everyone else in this forsaken city!"   
Connor stood up and walked to Jesse once his horrid remarks were finished, and punched him in the face, causing him to fall down near what was left of the young man they had heard being eaten like the rest. "Just because I'm being held captive by a monster doesn't make me want to survive in his fashion," she yelled, "I'd rather starve to death than to be even touched by this bastard! But now, the one thing I'm worried about is who is he gonna' bring in this time? Some pretty face with dreams shattered by his intervention? Another hobo he feels won't regain his lost place in tha' world? Who, damn it all? Just...who...?"   
  
A young man who wore a black shirt under his jacket walked the long path home tonight from his job, smiling at the events that were to follow once he made it home to his longtime girlfriend. Every step he took was a reminder of her killer figure and loving glare that could bring him to his knees, even with a single thought of it, which could explain how staggered his walk was. Nothing could ever defeat his trance, not even the tall shadow that cast over his body as he took a turn into a black alleyway. The deep, vice crippled laughter was what ceased his yearning for his dark lover, as the shadow took a striking, clown-like form.   
"Well, isn't this a treat to a slow night," spoke a tall, lanky member of the Jokers, loosening a switchblade in his right hand. Once the blade was out, he held it to the young man's throat, as others could be heard laughing in the darkness that his surrogate brother came from. As he backed away in fear, the man could hear sounds of the Joker rabble. As the man shivered at their childlike, yet odious appearance, he figured that swinging at the tall one would boost his bravado, and guarantee some form of escape from the malicious quartet. Once he swung, the only thing that he connected with was a hand that caught his failed assault, and their sultry, female pack leader laughed in his face while keeping the hold tight.   
As the man saw through his tears the entire set ready to rob him of what little he truly had on him, the tall, lanky dreg stood in the back of them. He could be seen forcing a maniacal laugh while arching his back, so that he was now expressed his feelings in the night air. The others carried on, cursing and demeaning the poor young man dead into his face, not noticing that their height-induced friend began to float off the rigid pavement. With a stutter, the victim addressed while still slouched on the ground, "I--I--didn't know---you g-guys c-could f-f-fly." "Dude," said a short, heavy-set Joker as he puffed on some Jane, "what is he on?" "I don't know, but I want some of that shit," laughed replied another with Far Eastern features, as he turned to his tall companion, "ain't that right, Shorty? Shorty?"   
All the Jokers turned to their tall partner, seeing what their "booty" call was talking about, as Shorty floated in the air in a crucified shape. "Yo, that ain't right, right there," said the female. "I know! He told me 'bout 'dat west coast shit 'dat'll get you all Clark Kent-like an' whatnot," said the short pug, before he noticed something tail-like coming from out Shorty's back, making its way into the pith black they just came from. "Wha' 'da..."   
Two steps were all that he took towards the black area, before he was quickly pulled in by large, swift hand. "Shorty" remained in the air, as the others heard screams and pleas for mercy from their "family" member, yet they were all silenced by the blood that surfaced into what had to be his throat. The others, including the young man, started to look at each other, and without wasting another moment, all began to make haste before they were next.   
  
One of the remaining Jokers of average height and body, ran as he heard what could have only been the sounds of the monstrosity coming after him first, as he cried behind him for mercy, until he ran into something more welcome than the advancing killer. "OW," cried Terry, who was just on his way back home wearing his backpack, "watch where you're going, loser!" The Joker looked up and cried into his face, "You gotta' run, man, it's after us!"   
"What? What's after you?"   
"I am."   
The distinguishing voice paused Terry in shock, but before he could react in any way, a balled hand connected with his face, and knocked him cold on his back.   
Once Terry rose from his impromptu rest, his senses returned to him piece by piece, starting with his eyes. Though the vision was blurry at first, he could tell that he was no longer topside, but amongst pipes and dimmed lights from above. Second came his touch, feeling what little breeze protruded from a large gate locked with chains that could only be maneuvered by one with great strength. Terry also noticed that even though it was liquid substance he lied in, it was too thick, too mucked for him even count it as water, which led to his assumption of being in the sewers. Something even floated by his right hand under the boggy substance, and Terry hoped that it wasn't a finger. His nose then settled into activation, with an onslaught of atrocious smells and chemicals that made him viciously cough and grow teary-eyed. Blood was even a part of the mix, though McGinnis wasn't sure if it was his own rested in his nose, or what could have been in the room. Maybe both? Finally, there were light splashing sounds from behind him, and as Terry turned, he was correct as he saw what they only could've been.   
  
Conner, Jesse, and the nameless others looked at him with looks of discouragement, as they knew that he, such a handsome man to the women in there, would be next in the line of victims whose blood and entrails were scattered all over the room, one way or the other. One of them, however, felt otherwise, but could only keep it to their own self until they were alone with the young teen.   
"Where am I," Terry quickly asked with a strong look.   
"Your final resting place," Jesse answered, as a nameless female prisoner clarified, "This is the lair of that Subterranean Slayer. He plucks people off the streets and feeds on 'em right in front of us...sometimes..." Terry wondered, "And you people..." "We people," Connor began, "are just like you. Next." "I had a backpack," Terry said as he started to get up, when Connor warned him, "You might not wanna' do that, you had a nasty fall from up there." "Up where?" A few of them pointed up, as Terry saw a light seeping through a steel grating, shining on the very item hanging on a large pipe, all. "It's approximately twenty feet up," Jesse said, "and your baggie got caught in that pipe. You hung there for a bit, 'til you came crashin' down in this cesspool. Live it up, kid, 'cause droppin' you from that height is pretty much the most humane thing you'll experience." Terry looked at him in a dark, curiosity-stricken demeanor, but refocused on his next goal.   
"I need that bag, now," he said.   
"No chance in getting' it," Connor addressed, "we've tried to escape by climbin' up 'dem, but he slicked them all with all sorts of unknowns and such, makin' it all slippery. Sorry, but there's no way out but by his claws or teeth. If you're lucky, he'll make it quick for ya' through tha' neck.." "When does he usually come," Terry asked, catching a peek at Connor's torn, yet vivacious body. "Random," she replied. With a sigh, McGinnins looked back at his bag, and knew that it had to be retrieved immediately, despite the warnings and encouraging words of the prisoners. "I have an idea," he told them, "but you all have to work with me on this."   
  
Meanwhile, the creature rested in its personal set of water, breathing out its mouth with a sound similar to a furnace and a bellowing tiger going at once. As he inhaled, he enjoyed the sounds of his snarling, the same he'd always make whenever he had finished a meal, or raped a sultry, tasty feminine object. The endless years of repeating the countless crimes it had committed were not even on the brink of stating to take toll on its deranged mind. In fact, it felt that this was only the genesis of a new life away from the one it used to lead. One of misery, tribulations, ridicule, attacks with only slabs of meat to feast upon, "scientific" tests, straight down to visits to his family to see how their son was born not to grow into a man, but a thing. It remembered how they were the first to go, because all they wanted was for "him" to stay away from humanity.   
"Is not one's humanity judged by the soul, not the shell," he once asked them, as he held them upside down over a bathtub filled with searing water.   
"Not if humanity is plagued by oddities like you," his inveighing mother's reply was.   
"I am not the plague, mother," he said with a frightful calm, "the ignorance is the plague to the human hosts that welcomes it as with open hearts and closed minds. People like you...you are what makes monsters out of what can live as men. I waste no more words with you. And now...an example of what they succumb to."   
He then remembered, as he always did, the sounds they made as they tried to fight the water that would soon fill their lungs, shortly before throwing a plugged alarm clock into the tub, just to make sure the job was finished. He left them there to be found weeks later by neighbors and authorities, as it had long begun to spread its dark word elsewhere to those that he could "smell" the ignorance. Everyone, as it saw it, was nothing more than a shallow pool of life that must see the error of their thoughts by all means necessary. As for why he would eat his endless list of victims? To walk into a store and get food would be too much attention, he once thought, and he had to eat something, and seeing that vegetables weren't a part of his childhood...well, you get the idea.   
Just as the repetitive thoughts continued its vicious cycle, a sound from its lair of prisoners/"refrigerator" startled him, which sounded unfamiliar, and that is what made it all the more worthy to run towards his living food. But as quickly as it made it towards the doorway that only he could manage, so was the shocking sensation that pushed him far away from even touching the bars.   
  
As the people inside heard the agony that came from their sole torturer, Connor remained locked on what lied above, where she was thrown the mysterious device by Terry to place by the creature's entrance. She looked even harder through the bright light that shone through the grate she and the others fell from, no longer seeing Terry with his normal street clothing, but only a silhouette with a red marking on its chest. Maybe it was her mind playing japes once more as it started to pulse, but if it wasn't, then chances are they were all saved. 


	6. Silent Vow

"YEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHH!!!!"  
  
It was all they could hear from the Crocodile/human hybrid, as they hoped that each attempt it made to rip through the electrified gates were a step closer to its death. It could be heard snarling, and easily perturbed by the sudden twist of events, as it yelled to them, "THIS WILL NOT SAVE YOU LONG! YOU ONLY DELAY YOUR TRAGIC FATES! INCLUDING YOU, NEW ONE, WITH THE SMELL OF THE BAT!" The voice boomed enough for Terry to hear from above as he tried to kick the grate open, and cursing that he could tell he was Batman. He got the grate to only part of the way, which seemed enough to slip through and escape out what had to be an intricate maze. After he pushed his bag through the grate, Terry followed, and in a matter of seconds, he was in the suit that he couldn't risk those below to see him in, even if they didn't know his name. Little to his knowing, one already did. Back below, the creature still tried to force his way into the lair, as Connor and two others held three more of the same units to place onto the entrance, just in case the power gave out. With the pressure the monster placed onto the field, it eventually would. "Where is that boy," one of the three asked. "He'll be back," Connor assured, "I can tell he'll be back." "What about that 'smell of the bat' thing it yelled," asked the second, who still played with his ears after the aforementioned audible announcement. "...I don't know," she replied. Something in her made her feel otherwise, as her head began to lightly pulse once again, but the pulses soon left as the sound of energy being broken through was heard from the gate. One of the three that held the field generators quickly played hero by running towards the gate to place the new device, just as the monster forced its way in one last time to fully enter the lair. With unyielding speed, the monster grabbed the martyr and took his entire upper body into its mouth, which echoed a sickening crunch in the area. No one knew that it could be that swift from him, but as they saw him chew and spit what bones he could, another figure appeared from behind him on the ceiling, and took fists to the beast with all its might until it was on the ground. As the prisoners silently rejoiced at the sight of the (in) famous Batman, he repeatedly attacked the enlarged creature one last time, before turning towards the remaining four and yelling, "Get out of here, NOW!" Not having to be told twice, the survivors ran through the muck and out the gate, hoping that freedom was now a moment away. Connor was the last to go, as she looked towards Batman with a smile and a whisper, "Thank you...and your secret is safe with me." Without another word, the beast reawakened and grabbed Connor by her torso to pull her in for the kill. As its mouth remained wide open for the long awaited feast, Connor threw her activated field generator into its throat, and caused it to ignite the most horrific scream that both Batman and Connor had ever heard. "Come on, he's finally getting a last meal," he said, cradling her and flying out the way the others left, and left the monster to hopefully choke on its deserving dinner.   
  
As they raced through the winding tunnels, Batman and the others were not so easily condensed in groups by the dim labyrinth. Jesse and the first female were together hoping to run into the second one, who ran alone, but hoped to find her way out no matter what the fate of the others were. As for Batman, he still held onto Connor, who wrapped her arms around their savior, as she whispered to herself, "A dark knight comes to tame the darker dragon, in hopes to see the light." "Not until I get you and the others out of here," replied Batman, "besides, something's telling me that..." The steel and brick surroundings trembled at the roar made by the monster, who was at least a quarter of a mile off, but that wouldn't stop him from retrieving his prizes, even the Batman, now more that previously. Batman thermographically scanned the areas for the other escapees, hoping to strike it rich quick with all of them. "Where are the others," cried Connor. "I'm looking for them right now," he said, with a tighter grip on her as he accelerated through the halls with his jet attachments. The long search, however, was halted by the appearance of a manhole cover just above them. Batman flew to it, and landed so that Connor could be on her feet, as he spoke, "You go topside and find shelter, I'll find the others!" "Be careful," Connor warned, "he may be more dangerous, now that his 'personals' have been violated. He might kill you on sight." "And that's where our similarities end," he snarled, just as he extracted his wings and flew back into the dark depths of the lair. Connor watched him leave, and smiled as she said, "You will see the light, dark one. I promise."  
  
Back below, lied the lone girl, crying for a way out of the hellish graveyard of those that will forever be missed to people above that search for their loved ones, and will never know their grim fates. It was the manner of how they died, what killed them, and even more to why they died that drove her to continue her search for an exit. Her stern face surveyed the next room she was about to enter, which gave off a light from its ceiling in the distant part of it. The only thing that displeased her of the room, was that there were no other lights to see where she would go, and even more as to what she would step on. Despite the fears already circulating in her head, the woman walked on into the room with a deep breath and steady steps, and with each step being a hope for life above ground once again. However, with each step came disturbing objects that ran onto, even through the outside of her feet and toes. Rats, feces, cockroaches, and even other things that remain unrecognized in any genotype touched her feet and legs, but she convinced herself with ease that it was much more welcome than where she and the others were.   
  
Meanwhile, kilometers off from her, Jessie and the other female (who finally revealed her name to be Alina) continued to run for anything that lead towards topside, while at the same time, made sure the creature was not behind them. Even if it was, they still had the device to place on or in it to give them space from the monster in, what they hoped would be, more than enough time to escape. "How the hell are we going to find the exit in here," Alina wondered, "all these tunnels run into each other so much, and that Nemesis wanna'-be probably knows them like the back of his ass!" "First of all, if you wanna' live to get outta' here, be quiet so he won't hear us, and second, there's a chance we'll find one soon enough, if we're not stuck here conversing about finding one," bellowed Jessie. "This coming from the guy that wanted himself killed by the freak, as well as eating off...oh dear," Alina said, as she tried to hold back and vomiting actions from the thoughts. "How many times do I have to explain myself about that," he readied to argue, "but let's drop it and leave this damned place." "I'm all about it, but all I wanna' say is this," Alina forced out while she leaned on the wall, still with the nauseated emotion, "you may live to see your family again, but what brings a cycle returns it, you sick fuck. Now let's get out---." A large splash of water came from behind them, and as they turned to see what it was, Alina activated the device, ready to swing it into the creature. She placed herself in a throwing position, as her muscles locked up and eyes focused on the approaching figure's shadow. Though it started to look familiar, the woman remained ready to defend her life against the shadow's possessor, and care just a bit less for Jessie, who slowly walked away until he would officially out of sight. The figure stopped, and after careful detection, it then spoke, "You might not wanna' use that while it's still deactivated." Batman stepped into view, and Alina wasted no time in giving him a tight, meaningful hug, all while still holding the device just in case. As she cried out multiple notes of appreciation to him, Batman looked behind her and asked, "There was another one with you. Where are they?" Alina released her hold and turned to see Jessie gone, then cursed before turning back to Batman, "Forget 'em, let's go." "No," he said, as he grabbed her arm and cradled her, and flew off until another hole was found. "Call for help, immediately," were Batman's only words to Alina, right before he flew off to search for Jessie. "Find him all you want, Bat boy," she whispered to herself, "it won't save him from what he did."   
  
Back in the dark room, the woman closed in on the location where the light shone on the ladder, which were only a few steps until it touched the streets above. Her steps into the grime accelerated, even now avoiding glass and other sharp objects within the vanishing darkness. She was only a foot away now, but as she grabbed the bars to climb up towards the manhole, a deep echo surrounded the room. As tears seeped from the girls' eyes, she felt the echo wrap around her body, and even to her soul. She felt it once more as the noise reoccurred, but she wouldn't let it halt her ascent to the top, which were only a few feet upward. Once she reached the top, the deep sound rattled the surroundings even more, with the ladder shivering as well from the addition of snarls and spitting, all while the girl struggled to push the manhole up and over enough to escape. The deep sounds grew louder and closer to her, now disturbing her very soul, and with all her reserved strength, she pushed the cover off with full ease, and nearly hopped the rest of the way out the sewer, landing right onto the pavement. Once she rolled and crawled away in shock and terrified emotion. The girl leaned onto a parked car set away from the manhole, as she balled and screamed in a chimera of emotions. Once she calmed down to look up at the calm night sky, a soothing voice came to her side. "Are you okay," asked the man, with the girl replying only by looking at him with frightened eyes, as if it was the first time she had seen another human. After calming herself, she finally forced out a few words, implying her encounter with the "Slayer", and how Batman saved her and others. Amazed at the story's oral synopsis, the man pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance to tend to her quickly, while she sat on the street and looked at him walk away and towards the manhole, but not too close to it. The girl then leaned back and fully rested on the back of the car, drowning herself in the sounds of civilization in the distance, and not a sound broke her joy of being out the disgusting hideaway. Not even the sharp, brisk noise of the samaritan being pulled underground by a gargantuan hand, and eaten right below the manhole.   
  
Jessie walked on in a sluggish fashion in the nearly keen deep water, as he looked around the area of pure stench, seeing a light at the end, but it wasn't bright enough to be from the upper world. Even if it was, he knew that Alina was right, that he'd pay for his gluttony in any way fate saw it fit, be it in here or out there. With no other recourse to turn towards, including himself, he began to yell into the air, speaking in random, sarcastic tones that defined his loss of sanity. "Can you hear me, 'Slayer'," Jessie yelled, "it's me, your wayward protégé, hopin' you hear every bit of this somehow. I hope you're not hiding from me, or even more so, not hiding from bat boy! I was told that I'd pay for feein' off the less fortunate, a-k-a your leftovers, but hey, guess what? I give a shit! Y'see, I'm not exactly one who wants to go back upside, 'cause this'll get out faster than you eat. I'm open with my family, or lack thereof thanks to a wife that if I wanna' love her all night, I have to take a number! They don't need me, none of them do! You probably don't either, you just dragged me away from my 'life' just to make me think I'd be eaten, but won't, even after I die from waiting for you to, RIGHT? Fine...don't eat me. Kill me, but don't eat me...or at least let me join you...'cause I'll admit, it was great, but all some of those kids needed was some hot sauce." "You'll regret those words," yelled Batman, who stood a couple of feet away from Jessie. He replied, still in the varied tones, "Oh look, my lord and savior, here to bring me in 'cause I eat people! Who's the sicker one, Batty? Me, or mister happy lifestyle?" "This isn't the way to solve your condition," he tried to convince. "Oh? So now it's a condition? I thought it was because I just didn't give a shit!" Terry's mind wasn't in the set to negotiate Jessie out of staying longer, but in a last attempt before readying his Batrope, he spoke, "I'm not gonna' sit here and argue with you about this, but consider the following. Despite what you said about your family, they are what matters in your life, and if they lose you, what will they have to hold onto for the rest of their lives? What will they do without you? Believe me, it will be destructive." "Oh sure, like you lost a father." Without another word, Batman fired the rope at Jessie, wrapping around the upper half of his torso, almost tightening around the neck. Batman then pulled Jessie towards him with ferocity, as his body was drug through the water. As Jessie tried to force out the ropes, they were suddenly cut apart to the surprise of both himself and Batman. "Ha," he laughed in exclamation, "looks like you're your do-dads don't cut it anymore, 'eh? I'll find my own way---." Jessie's words were halted by the tug of his leg until he was underwater, but soon arose with what held him by over half of his leg, as Batman watched in horror at his holder's arrival. "I'm only telling you once," Batman harshly yelled towards the monster, "let him go, freak job,". "He'll either die here or in jail, if not in Arkham, so there's no need for such dull melodrama," spoke the scaled beast, "and as for you, my dear Jessie...my craving is gone, and your plea for your assistance is futile." The creature slightly lifted Jessie's body into the air, and with the same hand he held him with, he slashed through his body into thirds, as each piece splashed into the cold water, where others have been led into a much similar fate. As he watched the Slayer laugh with malignity, Batman's face grew animalistic, ignited by the dreaded actions that were implied, but now also seen. It seemed to him that at his level of rage, Terry could take the monstrosity on without his suit. But no...it would be too much of a risk to do so, but it was already a risk to try and fight the "Slayer" with so little weapons that can, or may affect it. No matter what he still had on him, no matter how hard or long it would take, Terry knew now, more than ever, that this was it. Even if Terry had to die trying...the monster's reign would end tonight. 


	7. Breath

i"I had no idea that it would end like this for him."i  
  
  
  
It felt as if they waited for an eternity to make a move, as Terry and the Slayer stood with their eyes locked on each other, and with their every attribute heightened at this tense period, it was only a matter of seconds before one stuck. Batman's hands flexed near his utility belt as if he was in a western, as the creature did the same with its hands, the only weapons it needed for any occasion. Their eyes thinned from the tension they felt from each other, as rage boiled within them that could melt or crack everything around them. And with the sound of glass being broken in the distance by unknown forces, the "knight" and the "dragon" accelerated towards each other; their power seemingly built within the blinding rush.  
  
  
  
i"Neither did I, Barbara. At least, not like this..."i  
  
  
  
Batman was quick to punch the man-croc in the mouth before it could bite, as he turned to kick it in the same area with even more authority than ever. The Slayer could feel some teeth on the verge of loosening, but ignored the pain while punching his adversary in the stomach. Batman landed on his feet, just as he saw the monster lunging at him with its mouth wide open. It missed, as the dark one jumped upwards vertically, and threw three Batarangs that connected to its head. It grunted from the pain of two of the three weapons that stuck into his dome, but before he could swat them off, Terry propelled downward from the ceiling fists first, and rammed into its head once more.   
  
  
  
i"The bite marks...they were so...I couldn't believe it."i  
  
  
  
Without warning, the Slayer quickly recovered and slapped Batman with its oversized tail, making the young warrior spin in continuous revolutions until he landed in the sewage. Terry was on his hands and knees, as he looked to where the nemesis was, quickly running towards him with its gangrene-drenched mouth opened once more. Immediate flash bombs were all that ceased the monster's attempt, as it pulled back after only being a few inches off Batman's face. It swung violently, and despite Terry's defensive efforts, he was slapped twice in the face and knocked over again.   
  
i"He knew the risks, as did we when we first joined..."i   
  
Terry quickly shook off the head rush, and looked back at the Slayer with a blurred vision. He could barely make out what was next from the monster, but before he could move once more, the pain from his scars returned, and he grunted loudly with his closed eyes. The crocodile-like monster could barely see as well, except for multiple targets that he hoped to lunge correctly for. After a quick call of judgement, it leapt at Batman, and with a sound as sudden as the splash of its landing...  
  
  
  
i"He always wanted to be buried next to his father."i  
  
  
  
The monster roared in agitation, as it knew that it missed Batman by unknown measures, which stood right beside him with baseness to his face. Terry roundhouse kicked the Slayer in its eye, and on the point of impact, ignited his boot jets to sear it. Needless to say, the monstrosity yelled in pain, and it could now feel where the Bat was. It swung at McGuiness and forced him into the wall behind him, as it turned to look at him with its remaining eye. "No one has ever gotten as far as you," the mutant bellowed, "and no on EVER WILL!" Its hand straightened so that all claws were out and ready to pierce through the knight, or even the wall just to prove its strength. Terry pushed off the wall with his legs, and as he flipped over its head, a thin string rolled from his right hand into the left. Once Terry landed dead on its back, the string was wrapped around the Slayer's throat with sheer acuity, as it began to violently choke the monster.   
By now, Terry had lost whatever sense of justice he would normally give such a demon. In this case, justice was not the answer. Now it was only justifiable suffering, sheer torment, and righteous infliction of much needed retribution, personified by what was, and what still may be a victim. Even if Terry died, he would die smiling, knowing that he's reminded the bastard of its vulnerability, and that everyone's time comes...no exceptions.   
  
Terry placed his feet on the almost slicked back of the Slayer to give more force into the strand's entrance to its neck. He even started to saw the string into the now bleeding wound, as the creature tried to shake off the gnat that was slowly gaining the win. In a final effort, the beast jumped so that Batman's head connected with the ceiling, and once it did, he fell defenselessly to the water. The Slayer turn to smile at the Bat, and with the one eye that had returned to its straight, color-blinded vision, he made sure that the vigilante was in his sight, 'cause he was sure enough needed to soothe its taste buds.   
  
  
  
They stared off one last time, with Terry in the sewage almost on his back, and the Slayer possibly near death from the increasing blood flow from his neck wound. They were exhausted, fatigued, and tested almost to new levels never known to exist in a man, no matter the means of its birth. However, in the next moment, it would be proven who would live to use what they've learned in this debacle in the days ahead. Once it summoned the last of its strength, the man-croc dashed at Batman, as the final act of one's life came to a most surprising and inevitable close.   
  
  
  
"Barbara, are you okay?"  
"Yes, Bruce...the funeral just ended," she said over her cell phone, "it was a shame that this had to happen. Some of my own were mostly young men as well. Two were fresh from academy, but this wasn't...anyway, how are you holding up?"  
"Time heals, yet there have been times I wished..."  
"You'll be fine, and so will Terry. He's in a better place, I gather," Barbara forced.  
"More than you'll ever know," replied Bruce with a smile, "more than we'll ever know..."  
  
  
Max's room was as dark as the dismal emotion that had swallowed her apartment the next morning; even more so inside her room where she lied in tears. She couldn't eat, or even dare to go to school as she recycled everything they had been through, and how the more she saw Terry in her images, the more reason she found to love him, even if death came to him in his young life. She thanked God that it wasn't this passed night, as Terry embraced her right back with the most affectionate hold that had ever occurred in his life. Expressions of love were voiced and experienced in the hours he was with her, as Terry was glad to feel the warmth of love and life, after being once again juggled by the hands of Death. 


End file.
